Update: State agrees to review 30,000 more unemployment ‘fraud’ cases

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Update: State agrees to review 30,000 more unemployment ‘fraud’ cases

LANSING, Mich. — Today, state officials announced another 30,000 unemployment fraud cases will be re-reviewed.

This will bring the total case reviews to roughly 53,000 cases, according to the Unemployment Insurance Agency.

The FOX 17 Problem Solvers first exposed the issues in 2015 regarding the UIA’s computer system MiDAS. It finds fraud without human intervention. MiDAS’ errors led to false fraud allegations and large fines against citizens.

In 2016, Congressman Sander Levin insisted the state review more than 50,000 cases. However, at the time, the Unemployment Insurance Agency only agreed to review 22,000. Those are cases MiDAS had previously determined and not a person. As a result of the 22,000 reviews, the UIA found a 93% error rate. The state is in the process of repaying $5.4 million to 2,571 people.

Levin said the UIA told him each of the other 30,000 cases involved a human and computer element. Because of the human element in each of those cases, the state didn’t think it was necessary to review them. Levin still insisted the review take place.

So the TIA said the UIA will review the other 30,000. So far, the state says 7,000 of those cases have been looked at.